The present invention relates, in general, to a dashboard for a motor vehicle, and more particularly to a dashboard support placed transversely between the A pillars of the vehicle body.
Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.
A dashboard support includes typically a support beam, e.g. a tube which is placed between the A pillars and includes various mountings for retaining the instrument panel as well as further vehicle components, such as vehicle heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, airbag, steering column, center console, fuse box or glove compartment. The dashboard support is intended to satisfy several functions. Apart from reinforcing the vehicle body, the dashboard support should be able to absorb energy in the event of a collision, to connect various spatial points and allow attachment of various mountings. In addition, the dashboard support should be suitable for operation in different frequency ranges because various vibrations, caused by the chassis or engine for example, are experienced during travel. These vibrations can be compensated by an active arrangement as described, e.g., in German Pat. No. DE 101 12 738 C1, whereby the active arrangement includes piezo elements in an attachment zone between the A pillars and the support beam as well as in an attachment zone of the steering column to the support beam. When the dashboard support is caused to vibrate during travel, sensors detect the vibration which is then damped by an actively generated compensating vibration.
German patent publication no. DE 39 39 822 A1 discloses a vibration damping system for a motor vehicle, having a control unit for detecting interfering vibrations and for controlling an adjuster for operating a vehicle-mounted oscillator in response to the detection of interfering vibrations. The oscillator introduces into the motor vehicle superimposing and damping, phase-shifted counter vibrations in opposition to the interfering vibrations. The oscillator is formed by a functional element of the vehicle, e.g. battery or radiator, and the adjuster is realized in the form of a piezoceramic actuator.
German Pat. No. DE 197 25 919 C2 discloses a bearing element for a vibrating machine, especially an internal combustion engine. The bearing element is secured to a vehicle body and includes an integrated shaft with revolving compensating mass and own drive. Dynamic forces, caused by inertia of accelerated masses of the internal combustion engine, are compensated by the bearing element.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved dashboard support which is constructed with a vibration damping feature to realize an effective and precise compensation of interfering vibrations.